Drug and Alcohol Use by Student Athletes Essay - 1057 Words

Drug and Alcohol Use by Student Athletes The topic that I have chosen is student athletes use of drugs and alcohol. Im interested to see if the old theory that student athletes tend to stay away from these things still holds true today. From my own personal experience as a former high school and college football player, I doubt that this is true. Id also like to find some studies that may compare student athletes to the general student body to see if there is a correlation of usage between these two groups. With the many stories of athletes being arrested for alcohol and drug abuse, I feel this information may be helpful in setting up a drug prevention program at the high school or middle school level. Carr et al. (1990)†¦show more content†¦Shields (1998) study looked at the in-season and off-season use of alcohol by high school athletes and also compared it to a similar study done w/ the same population in 1988. Overall, athletes are using alcohol less both in and off-season in the current study compared to 1988. Also they used less alcohol during their in-season than off-season. It was found that white athletes are 2.5 times more likely to use alcohol both in and off-season compared to black athletes. Hayes and Tevis (1977) looked for significant differences or relationships between high school athletes and non-athletes with respect to drinking behaviors and attitudes about alcohol use and abuse. They found non-athletes used alcohol more and were more tolerant of others using it compared to athletes. Overall, males had a more tolerant attitude than females toward temperate and irresponsible use of alcohol. There seemed to be a correlation between attitudes of irre sponsible drinking and who drinks the most, being the more they drank the more tolerant their attitudes were. Overman and Terry (1991) compared the patterns of use and attitudes toward alcohol by college athletes and non-athletes. There was no significant difference between the drinking behaviors of athletes and non-athletes, though athletes did report drinking more beer. Athletes tended to limit drinking to weekends and special occasions, and seemed to think of it more as a celebration.Show MoreRelatedDrug and alcohol violations on college campuses1285 Words   |  6 Pagesmembers and Athlete students are involved with drugs and alcohol more than college students that are not part of Greek life or athletes. As of the peer pressure and the exposure exhibited in their surroundings does have an impact on their use of drugs and alcohol. For most students, they like to go to college to gain new opportunities to experience college life and to experiment with different things. The United States has over 7,000 higher education institutions and over 15 million students (BrainRead MoreMandatory Drug Testing for Student Athletes Essay966 Words   |  4 Pagesschools around the country, student athletes are using drugs. â€Å"The percent of students that have drunk alcohol is 72.5% while the number of students who have used marijuana is 36.8%† (Report: Nearly Half of High School Students Using Drugs, Alcohol). The students believe that since they are athletes that they do not need to abide by the rules because they feel more superior and that the narcotic will not hurt or affect them. Implementing random drug tests for athletes will create a positive imageRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcoholism On Collegiate Athletic Performance1595 Words   |  7 PagesPerformance According to research and statistics, alcohol is the number one drug used by college students. Most individuals do not label alcohol as a drug due to the way it is consumed, but when considering the negative side effects that accompany alcohol, the comparison of alcohol to drugs may not be that far of a stretch. Alcohol can not only be harmful to an individual’s external health but also their internal health as well. Consumption of alcohol over a long period of time may result in negativeRead MoreHealth And Performance Effects Of Alcohol Use By Intercollegiate / Varsity Athletes1232 Words   |  5 Pageseffects of alcohol use by intercollegiate / Varsity athletes? Alcohol is the most commonly used recreational drug globally and its consumption, often in large volume, is deeply embedded in many aspects of Western society . It is used by members of all societies in countries around the world, either consumed moderately or in excess. University is a place in one’s life when those who have just finished secondary school go to experience a higher quality of education. Some of these students enter universityRead MoreAlcohol Consumption Among Athletes and Non-Athletes Essay1395 Words   |  6 PagesAlcohol Consumption Among Athletes and Non-Athletes On college campuses, the consumption of alcohol amongst undergraduate college students continues to be a maladaptive college health behavior. The recreational use of alcohol effects the student population and the health of the students who excessively drink alcohol. The issue caused many research studies to focus on the effect of alcohol consumption based on being an athlete and non-athlete. This study is important because it provides college campusesRead MoreStudent Athletes Are Stereotyped And Academic Performance1407 Words   |  6 Pagesarea student-athletes are stereotyped is academic performance. As part of the dumb jock stereotype, student-athletes are seen as being academically inept. That is not always the case, however, as college athletes can perform at the same or higher level than their nonathlete peers. In a classic study examining athletes’ academic performance, Adler Adler (1985) used participant observation to study a major college basketball program for four years. These scholars found that many athletes actuallyRead MoreAlcohol as an Ergogenic Aid1082 Words   |  5 PagesSaullo Alcohol and Athletics Alcohol, more specifically ethyl alcohol or ethanol, is a depressant that provides 7 kCal of energy per gram, and is the most abused drug for athletes and non-athletes in the United States. Prior to my research on alcohol, I assumed that alcohol abuse was not prevalent among college athletes, outside of the occasional partying that normal college students partake in as well. But according to Lifestyles and Health Risks of Collegiate Athletes, college athletes generallyRead MoreEssay about Pushing Kids to the Limit1549 Words   |  7 Pagesacademically. In many cases, the vast number of sports played by these children is due to the parent’s encouragement, or enforcement. Some parents may enforce after school activities in order to keep their children away from the â€Å"evils of society†: drugs, alcohol, and simply loitering and causing trouble. Unfortunately, at times, the pressure from the parents can have negative effects on the children academically and/or soci ally. Some reasons that parents push their kids so much, could be the small possibilityRead MoreEffect of Sporting Activities on Teenagers1088 Words   |  5 Pagesactive, however, there could be problems that cause these teens to do troublesome and impulsive things such as hanging out with a bad group of friends, fighting with different teams, or using performance-enhancing drugs. Having friends is the best part of being a high school student, but choosing the wrong kind of friends to hang out with could cause trouble in the future. They are at the age of wanting freedom, enjoying time with friends, being adventurous, and having relationships with oppositeRead MoreEssay on Effects of Binge Drinking on College Academics1746 Words   |  7 PagesAlcohol use among college students has always been a popular subject among teachers, parents, researchers, and even students. The actual act of drinking alcohol is not necessarily the problem, whether legal or not. The main problem is the act of binge drinking of college students, of age or not. Drinking modest amounts of alcohol may have some consequences, but binge drinking has more negative consequences than normal modest drinking. There are many examples as to the consequences that binge